Measurement Uncertainty Guide

This page defines a compact reporting standard for SDR measurements used in this course.

Why this is needed

A single measured value (for example EVM, SNR, or frequency error) is not sufficient for engineering decisions. Each report should include an uncertainty interval and source breakdown.

Required reporting structure

1. Nominal measured value.
2. Type A contribution (repeatability from repeated runs).
3. Type B contributions (instrument, clock, cabling, environment, model assumptions).
4. Combined standard uncertainty u_c.
5. Expanded uncertainty U = k * u_c with stated coverage factor k.
6. Final reported result:

metric = nominal +/- U (k=2)

Example workflow

• Use the executable example in Lab 11.6: blocks/block_11_integrated_sdr_project/python/lab_11_6_measurement_uncertainty_budget.py
• Fill the reusable template: templates/measurement_uncertainty_budget.template.md

Minimum checklist for each measurement report

• [ ] Metric definition and units are explicit.
• [ ] Repeatability dataset is attached (or summarized).
• [ ] Type B sources are listed with distributions/divisors.
• [ ] Combined and expanded uncertainty are computed.
• [ ] Final interval is interpreted in engineering terms.
• [ ] Residual risks and assumptions are documented.